To be honest, we are really meat and potatoes people. Or rather, poultry and potatoes people. When we first married, Ari’s idea of tuna was canned tuna and while I did like some sushi and some fish, I only ate it out of the house. On occasion. And very rarely at that. But because we are both trying to live a little healthier as we get older (never to late to start, right?!) our red meat intake has been significantly reduced and our fish intake has increased in it’s place. So, we have been experimenting with fish varieties and recipes we think will please our entire family. We love Udon noodles and cooking with Mirin and this Everything Tuna steak is a perfect match. Fish sticks, stand back!

Set up your “batter” station by setting out two flat pans with rims. In one pan, break up the egg whites with a fork for the egg wash. In the next pan, combine the onion, garlic, seeds and salt.

Because the tuna takes very little time to sear, go ahead and cook your Udon noodles per the package directions. Be sure to reserve a cup of the pasta water to add to the sauce. Add the water and noodles back to the pot and keep over a very low flame. Add the soy sauce, Mirin and rice wine vinegar. Keep warm.

In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil and sesame oil over high heat being careful not to let it smoke.

Working quickly, dip the tuna into the egg wash and then the seed mixture and coat the steak completely.

Place the tuna in the hot skillet to sear. About 1 minute on each side for rare tuna.

Add a portion of noodles in a large bowl with sauce and top with a tuna steak and a sprinkling of scallions.

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Enjoy with a glass of Rose or a crisp Riesling and you will have a lite, healthy meal.

Sarah, from Old Mill Wine & Spirits, sent me a recipe for Miso Glazed Sea Bass. I had been dying to try it but I ended up taking some liberties and made a new version. This happened mostly because I could not find any fresh Sea Bass at any store near my home. I gave up after three stores. I then changed some of the measurements too to suit the Cod, which was the readily available fish of the day.

I have to admit, I have never cooked with Miso before. I really had no idea what it even looked like or how it was packaged. I actually did not research it before I went shopping or I would have had a better idea as to what exactly I was looking for. To be honest, I have never actually made any Japanese cuisine at home. Although, I have eaten plenty of take out and in lots of Japanese restaurants around the world. I love sushi. It just never really occurred to me to make any on my own. It was delicious and I will have to make a more since I have so much Miso left over. I need to investigate additional recipes that call for Miso too. Feel free to share if you have a favorite!

I went to my local grocer. Not only did they not have any Sea Bass, they did not carry Miso. Except in packages of instant soup. Strike out.

I went to two more stores before settling on a huge Asian grocer on Long Island, V&T Supermarket. It was my first time there and I spent hours wandering up and down the aisles. What an incredible store. And a world away, right near my home. They have literally hundreds of sauces, and every different kind of noodle you can imagine, from rice noodles, wheat noodles, egg noodles and even noodles made from shrimp. They have extremely interesting finds like dried cuttlefish and other dried fish made to taste like fruit candy. They had beautiful, albeit strange looking, fruits and vegetables. These were all very exotic to me and my, apparently, very Western cooking habits. I dared to experiment!

More importantly, they had Miso. After wandering for a few hours not seeing it, I passed another customer who had been wandering in the opposite direction as I was through the same aisles. I asked if in their wanderings did they happened upon Miso. They very nicely explained that it would be in the refrigerator section in a tub, much like margarine and pointed me to it. I am very grateful he told me this as I never would have found it on my own. And no one who worked there spoke much English. Or at least they didn’t when I asked.

They had many Miso varieties. I chose the Awase Miso. Which means “Mixed Miso”. It is a blend of two different misos from two different areas of Japan. Each Miso varies by region and each has a distinct flavor and texture and aroma. Yellow miso is sweet and creamy, while red miso is stronger and saltier. The Awase is a perfect combination of salt and not overly pungent.

They also had fresh fish. And they also carried live fish that you could choose from, but the tanks did not look all that cared for and were very overcrowded so I opted for the laid out fish. But yet again, no Sea Bass. So I settled on Cod instead. This recipe would be good for any thick fish fillet. I also served it with steamed sugar snap peas and udon noodles.

With broiler door slightly ajar, broil the fish about 6 inches from heat source until just opaque in center, about 7 minutes.

Transfer to plates. Sprinkle with green onions and serve.

Enjoy! Or in Japenese どうぞめしあがれ (douzo meshiagare) which means ‘enjoy your meal’ – said by the cook/chef. Per Omniglot.

Note: Look for Miso in Asian grocery stores or the refrigerator section of your local health food store. It may also be found in the same case where you find packaged Tofu in some larger supermarkets. I have yet to find it in my Stop & Shop though.

We hope you are enjoying your summer as much as we are. We have been spending most of our days at the town swimming pool and have been getting home very late in the afternoon. If you are like us, you try never to turn your oven on when the heat outside rises above 80 degrees. As much of the country is undergoing a severe heat wave, we are also tending to eat a lot less because of the extreme heat. But those things that we do eat should provide some positive nutritional value and be fast and easy to make.

These quick and easy Tuna Cakes are jam packed with chopped veggies and make a quick stove top meal that’s perfect with a small side salad. Made with simple ingredients, you can also add frozen mixed vegetables or a handful of fresh chopped spinach or zucchini for some added value.Ingredients

3 Cans of Solid White Albacore Tuna packed in Water, drained

2 large carrots, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 egg

1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Method

In a large bowl, mix tuna with all of the vegetables.

Add the egg and breadcrumbs to bind. Shape into patties and set aside. (I made 5 large patties when I use 3 cans. You can adjust the sizes to suit your family.)

In a large skillet over a medium flame, add the vegetable oil to the pan and let it become hot. Being careful not to let the hot oil splatter, add the patties and brown on each side about 3-5 minutes. Drain on paper towels on a plate.

Serve with a side of salad for a very quick,light, no fuss dinner.

Have you seen one of these? It’s a splatter screen. You can get them really cheap in most housewares department or online.

They are awesome when you need to fry something. You just put it over the pan you are using and it helps protect you from the splattering oil. It’s a must have tool in your kitchen. I have had mine forever and find it extremely helpful.